Climate activists hold sit-in at busy Vancouver intersection to protest old-growth logging
Climate activist group Extinction Rebellion held a sit-in at a busy Vancouver intersection on Saturday afternoon in protest of old-growth logging on Vancouver Island.
Dozens of demonstrators gathered on the front steps of Vancouver City Hall before marching down the street and sitting in the middle of the intersection of Cambie Street and West Broadway.
The group is calling on the B.C. government to permanently stop all logging in the Fairy Creek watershed, an area of old-growth forest in southwestern Vancouver Island.
The province has agreed to defer old growth logging on 2,000 hectares of Indigenous territory for two years, after a request from three Vancouver Island First Nations – the Huu-ay-aht, Ditidaht, and Pacheedaht.
However, some want it stopped permanently, which is why the protests continue.
“I think, if they were wise, they would take a look at their policies and figure out what the people of this province really want,” says Brent Eichler, a member of Extinction Rebellion.
In the middle of the intersection, protestors talked amongst themselves, sang, and gave speeches. One of the speakers was Evie Mandel, who recently returned from a four-day trip to Fairy Creek.
“They’re still logging there,” Mandel says. “They’re still building roads. The deferral only covers a small portion of the old growth forest there. There are many, many ancient trees and habitat to protect.”
Activists are still on scene in the Fairy Creek forest, despite the pause on logging. Mandel, 65, was arrested while protesting there, but feels bold action needs to be taken if the old-growth trees are to be saved.
“We have practically no ancient forest left,” she says. “John Horgan says we’ll have a new old growth policy in 2023, but at the rate they’re logging there, these forests will already be gone in only two years.”
Mandel says her biggest concern is for the ecosystem. She says old growth trees on Vancouver Island aren’t just spectacular to look at, but play a critical role in the local environment that cannot be replicated.
“It’s the exact opposite of sustainable,” she says. “It is irreplaceable. We do not have the power as human beings to create an old-growth forest like that.”
The sit-in lasted roughly three hours before the Vancouver Police Department asked protestors to clear the area. The intersection reopened to traffic without incident. The VPD says the demonstration was peaceful and no arrests were made.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'They needed people inside Air Canada:' Police announce arrests in Pearson gold heist
Police say one former and one current employee of Air Canada are among the nine suspects that are facing charges in connection with the gold heist at Pearson International Airport last year.
House admonishes ArriveCan contractor in rare parliamentary show of power
MPs enacted an extraordinary, rarely used parliamentary power on Wednesday, summonsing an ArriveCan contractor to appear before the House of Commons where he was admonished publicly and forced to provide answers to the questions MPs said he'd previously evaded.
Leafs star Auston Matthews finishes season with 69 goals
Auston Matthews won't be joining the NHL's 70-goal club this season.
Trump lawyers say Stormy Daniels refused subpoena outside a Brooklyn bar, papers left 'at her feet'
Donald Trump's legal team says it tried serving Stormy Daniels a subpoena as she arrived for an event at a bar in Brooklyn last month, but the porn actor, who is expected to be a witness at the former president's criminal trial, refused to take it and walked away.
Why drivers in Eastern Canada could see big gas price spikes, and other Canadians won't
Drivers in Eastern Canada face a big increase in gas prices because of various factors, especially the higher cost of the summer blend, industry analysts say.
Doug Ford calls on Ontario Speaker to reverse Queen's Park keffiyeh ban
Ontario Premier Doug Ford is calling on Speaker Ted Arnott to reverse a ban on keffiyehs at Queen's Park, describing the move as “needlessly” divisive.
'A living nightmare': Winnipeg woman sentenced following campaign of harassment against man after online date
A Winnipeg woman was sentenced to house arrest after a single date with a man she met online culminated in her harassing him for years, and spurred false allegations which resulted in the innocent man being arrested three times.
Woman who pressured boyfriend to kill his ex in 2000s granted absences from prison
A woman who pressured her boyfriend into killing his teenage ex more than a decade ago will be allowed to leave prison for weeks at a time.
Customers disappointed after email listing $60K Tim Hortons prize sent in error
Several Tim Horton’s customers are feeling great disappointment after being told by the company that an email stating they won a boat worth nearly $60,000 was sent in error.